Inside Podcasting (Jan 24th, 2018)

The American Medical Association has started a new podcast called “AMA Doc Talk” to help physicians navigate difficult patient situations. The show will feature physicians, ethicists, patients and academics, who will discuss topics such as how to speak to individuals about rare medical conditions or chronic diseases. “In TV and in movies, doctors always seem to strike just the right tone in the most trying situation," said AMA President David O. Barbe. "But in real life, when it comes to telling a patient she is dying or that he has dangerous misconceptions about vaccines or antibiotics, delivering news delicately is not as simple as reading a script.” – FIERCEHC

Podcasts are becoming “trendy” among children and teens. More parents are turning to podcasts as a way to keep their kids entertained. "I think it's better than them sitting spaced out watching TV; with the podcast they're learning something,” says mother Daru Oda. Podcast producer Andrew Barkan also believes podcasts encourage children to use more of their imagination. “Audio only gives you part of the puzzle and it's your job as a listener to fill in the rest of the puzzle," says Barkan. – WBTV

Eric Asimov of the New York Times has spotlighted a podcast for learning everything there is to know about wine. Called “I’ll Drink to That,” the show has been on the air since 2012, and there are more than 400 episodes available for download. In each episode, host Levi Dalton speaks to thought leaders and wine experts from all corners of the industry. “Wine is enjoyable enough if you know no more about what you are drinking than what’s in the glass,” writes Asimov. “But the more context you add, the more fascinating it becomes.” – NYT

A World War II veteran and Twitter star is turning to podcasting to share his unique point of view. Harry Leslie Smith, 94, is looking to raise awareness of what he sees as an expansion of global fascism. Called “Harry’s Last Stand,” the show can be downloaded with the Apple Podcast app. – WAMU

Spotify has debuted a new “multimedia feature” called Spotlight to showcase the visual elements of podcasts. Spotlight will also apply to media such as audiobooks and “news bites.” To start, it will feature content from producers including Gimlet, Cheddar, and Crooked Media, and Spotify intends to premiere original content on it as well. It will appear in a playlist format, with visual elements available on various devices. – TC

Child development specialist Jenny Radesky has shared her thoughts on how podcasting may affect kids and parents with Business Insider. While there is little direct research linking child development to podcast listening, Radesky believes it may actually be more important to focus on the parental attentiveness angle. “It's possible that when a parent's attention is really absorbed in a podcast, they're trying to listen to a story or learn about science, it's going to be hard for them to respond to children's cues,” Radesky says. "But on the other hand, I think it's also really important for parents to feel enriched ... so I don't have as strong of an opinion as to whether they should listen to podcasts." – BI

Podcasts are becoming “trendy” among children and teens. More parents are turning to podcasts as a way to keep their kids entertained. "I think it's better than them sitting spaced out watching TV; with the podcast they're learning something,” says mother Daru Oda. Podcast producer Andrew Barkan also believes podcasts encourage children to use more of their imagination. “Audio only gives you part of the puzzle and it's your job as a listener to fill in the rest of the puzzle," says Barkan. – WBTV